The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-07-28

DE Witt I0lmage, DID,, pastor OF INC
Brooklyn Tabernacle, continues to enjoy
the summer in this pleasant place. His
sermon for to-day was on the text, I'VE
cannot, until all the tlocks be gathered to-
gether, and till they roll the stone from the
wells mouth; then we water the sheep'H
Genesis xxx. 3.
A scene in Mesopotamia, beautifully
pastoral. \ we'll Of water of great value
in that region. The fields around about it
white with three hocks of sheep lying
down waiting for the watering. | hear
their bleating coming on the bright air,
and the laughter of young men and
maidens indulging in rustic repartee. L
look off and see other focks of sheep
coming Meanwhile Jacob, Il stranger, on
the interesting errNnd OF lookingfor wife,
comes to the we'll. A beautiful shepherdess
comes Ito the same we'll. | see her Rp-
proaching, followed by her fathers flock
of sheep. 1t was n memorable meeting.
Jacob married that shepherdess. The
Bible account of it is: Jacob kissed
Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept."
1t has always been mystery to me what
he found to cry about! But before that
scene occurred, Jacob accosts the shep-
herds and asks them why they postpone
the shaking of the thirst of these sheep, and
why they did not imme lately proceed to
water them. The shepherds reply to the
effect: ave are all good neighbors, and
as a matter of courtesy we wait until all
the sheep of the neighborhood come up.
Besides that, this stone on the wells mouth
is somewhat heavy, and several Of US take
hold of it aud push it aside, and then the
buckets and the tloughs are filed, and the
sheep are satisfied. We cannot, until all
the tlocks are gathered together, and till
they roll the stone from the wells mouth;
then we water the sheep"
Oh, this is a thirsty world! Hot for the
head, and blistering for the feet, and
parching for the tongue. The worlds
great want is cool, refreshing, satisfying
draught. We wander around and we find
the cistern empty. Long and tedious
drought has dried up the world fountains,
but nearly nineteen centuries ago n shep-
herd with crook in the shape Of a cross,
and feet cut to the bleeding, explored the
desert passages of this world, and one day
came across q well thousand feet deep,
bubbling and bright and opnlescent, and
looked 10 the north, and the south, and the
east, and the west, and cried out with a
voice strong and musical that rang through
the ages, "HG, every one that thirsteth
come We to the waters!"
Now great flock of sheep to-day gather
around this Gospel well. There are a
great many thirsty souls. wonder why
the hocks of all nations do not gather
why so many stay thirsty; and while | am
wondering about it, my text breaks forth
in the explanation, saying: 1--WE cannot
until all the tlocks be gathered together,
and till they roll the stone from the
wells mouth; then we water the sheep"
If herd of swine come to q we'll they
angrily jostle each other for the prece-
dence; if drove of cattle come to we'll,
they hook each other back from the water,
but when flock Of sheep come, though a
hundred of them shall be disappointed,
they only express it by sad bleating; they
come together peacefully. We want a
| great multitude to come around the Gospel
| we'll. know there are those who do not
| like crowd-they think crowd isvulgar.
If they are oppressed for room in church
| it makes them positively impatient and
| belligerent. We have had people per-
manently leave our church because so
many other people come to it. Not so did
| these oriental shepherds. They waited
| until all the tiocks were gathered, and the
| more focl1B that came the better they liked
| it. And so we ought TO be anxious that all
| the people should come. Go out into the
| highways and the hedges and compel them
| to come in. Go to the rich aud tell them
they are INDECENT without the Gospel OF
Jesus. Go to the poor and tell them the
affluence there is in Christ. Go 10 the
| blind and tell them of the touch that gives
eternal illumination. Go to the lame and
tell them of the Joy that will make tho
lame man leap like a hart. Gather all the
sheep off all the mountains. None so torn
| of the dogs, none so sick, none 30 worried.
none SO dying as to be omitted. Why not
gather great flock? All Brooklyn in q
| flock; all New York in flock; all London
| IN flock; all the world in flock. This
| Gospel wellisadeep enough to Put, ont tine
burning thirst Of the twelve hGpdred N |.
lions of the race. DO not let the church,
by spirit Of exclusivenes|, keep the world
| out. Let down all the bars, swing open
| all the gates, scatter all the invitations,
| "Whosoever will, 1T him come" ;" Come,
white and black. Come, red men OF the
| forest. Come, Laplander, out of the snow.
| Come, Patagonian, out of the heat. Come
| in furs. Come painting under palm leaves,
| Come one. Come all. Come now. As
at this we'll of Mesopotamia Jacob and
Rachel we're betrothered, so this morning
at this well of salvation Christ our Shep-
herd will meet you coming up with your
| long tiocks of cares and anXieties, and he
will stretch out his hand in pledge of his
| affection, while all Heaven will cry out,
"Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; 60 ye out
to meet him."
You notice that this vol of Mesopotanin
| had stone on it, which must be removed
| before the sheep could be watered; and find
| on the we'll of salvation to-day impede
| ments and obstacles, which must be re-
| moved in order that you may obtain the
| refreshment and life of this Gospel. In
| your case the impediment is pride of heart.
You cannot bear to come to SO democratic
| fountainy you do not want to come with
so many others. 1t is to you like when you
are dry, coming to town pump, as COM
pared with sitting in parlor slipping out
| of chased chalice which has Just been lifted
| from silver salver. Not so many publi-
cans and sinners. You want to get to
| heaven, but it must be in special car,
| with your feet ON Turkish ottoman and a
band of music on board the train. You do
| not want to be in company with rustic
Jacob and Rachel, and to be drinking out
1 of the fountain where 10000 sheep have
been drinking before you. You will have
to remove the obstacle of pride, or never
find your way to the well. You will have
to come as'we,ca1ne, willing to take, the
/ water of eternal life in any way, and at
any hand, and in anykind ofpitcher, cry
ing out; sob, Lord Jesus, am dying Of
thirst. Give me the water of eternal life,
| whether in trough or goblet; give me the
| water of life; care not in what it comes
to me-" Away with all your hindrances OF
pride from the wells mouth. .f
Here is another man who is kept back
| from this wafer of life bv the stone Of nm Oh
durate heart, which lies over the mouth OF
the well. You have nomore feeling upon
this subject than if God had yet to do you
the first Kindness, oryou had to do God the
first wrong. Seated on Els lap. all these
/ years, His everlasting arms sheltering you,
where is your gratitude? Where is your
morhiuo and evening rraver?s w here are